How Can It Be Her?
by xxVegetasTorturistxx
Summary: Something strange goes on between both Bulma and Vegeta's minds that makes Vegeta realize something unthinkable. There's a party and some really weird and sexy events. Read on!
1. Chapter 1

Sometimes Bulma thought she could see a shimmering gleam of hope in Vegeta's eyes, but other times she realized that what she thought to be hope was actually malice and a disarray of terrible memories trying to be seen by someone else. She could tell he was in pain and she wanted to help him so badly, but how could she? How would she possibly get close enough to the beast of a man she lived with to even begin to imagine what kind of terrible things he's been through? Bulma continued chopping up the lettuce for the salad she was making for the big party tonight and she hummed a little tune that had been playing in her head all day. It wasn't a song she knew or anything from an advertisement or anything like that, it was just a tune that had jumped into her head when she had looked at her house-mate that morning.

"Woman…" She heard from behind her.

Her head glanced over her shoulder toward the entry to the kitchen and she smiled. "Good evening, Vegeta. How was training today?" She sounded cheerful, which annoyed Vegeta even more than he already seemed to be.

"It was satisfactory, woman, now tell me where you heard that melody."

Bulma giggled. "To be honest, I don't know. I've never heard it before, but it just sort of started playing in my head this morning. It's been stuck there ever since!" She returned to her previous work and there was a slight pause. "Hey, Vegeta, are you going to show your face at the party tonight?" She spoke, not looking at him.

"Hmph. As if I really want to associate myself with the inferior beings of this planet anymore than I have to, and since I'm living with one I get my fair share every day without these festivities. No thanks." Vegeta smirked and lifted his feet onto the dining room table, knowing that she would have some remark to spark another pointless argument.

"If you think we're so inferior then why don't you just kill us all, your Highness?" Bulma fumed, raising her hands in the air.

Vegeta smirked again. "It's much too amusing fighting with you." The Saiyan Prince walked out of the kitchen, going up the stairs to his room the woman had arranged for him. He sighed as he slipped his shirt off over his head, shaking out his long black hair. He strolled into his bathroom and started the shower, making the water as hot as he could stand. As he stepped into the shower he closed his eyes, feeling his hair stick to his back. _How did that woman know that melody? It has been playing in my head as well, but… how would she know it as well? Not unless…. No. She couldn't be…_

Vegeta's eyes widened as he realized the undeniable truth. Bulma Briefs, a human, was his destined mate. He shook his head as he let the hot water wash away his stress. _How could this happen?_ He thought to himself. Suddenly, her voice came to him through his bathroom door.

"Vegeta? You in there? If you want, everyone's outside….you can come outside with us."

He remained silent and waited for her aura to move away from the door. When he was sure she was gone he shut the water off and stepped out of the shower. He wrapped a large black towel around his waist and looked in the mirror. He wiped away the fog from the hot water and rested his palms on the counter. Staring himself in the eyes he could see what everyone else said they had seen in them. Pain. An agony that he had never admitted to feeling inside of him.

In his eyes he saw his past. Every battle, every murder, every time he was beaten, every time he was raped, every time he had cried. He shook his head again as he heard the voices of his past creeping against his brain, begging for entry. He walked out the door into his bedroom, putting on a black tank-top and a loose-fitting pair of jeans. He walked over to his window and pulled back the dark curtains, looking down at all the people in the yard. Some of them he knew, most he'd never seen before.

Kakkorat, his woman, his child, the woman's stupid ex-mate, and the rest of their little playmates were there. Vegeta's nose wrinkled as he saw the scarred bandit get closer and closer to his-- to Bulma. The Saiyan was getting more and more angered by his mind as it kept screaming at him that Bulma was _his_ mate and that he should do something about the rival male trying to court her. _She's not my woman….. Even if I wanted her to be, she wouldn't have anything to do with me._ His eyes closed and he closed the curtain, but as soon as he did he caught something wrong with Bulma's energy.

He looked out the window again and saw that Yamcha was slowly moving himself closer to Bulma. She didn't seem upset or anything, but her energy reflected something different. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on her thoughts. He knew it was possible, since she was supposed to be his mate, but usually there had to be a bonding process before they could read each other's minds. He focused hard and finally caught onto her thoughts.

"_I wish he would just go away… he's drunk… he doesn't mean anything he's saying… he's just trying to get me into bed with him…"_ Her energy was scared, nervous, but Vegeta couldn't grasp about what. He ignored it for now and decided to go down to the party. As he walked out to the yard, he made his way over to Kakkorat.

"I hate you, and you know that, but do me a favor and keep your eye on that damned scarred baka." Vegeta nearly growled, looking over his shoulder at the mentioned idiot. "There's something wrong with Bulma's energy and I don't like it."

"Are you actually concerned about her feelings, Vegeta?"

"Feh. I couldn't care less about her feelings, I just don't need her being out of her normal state of mind." Vegeta sat down as Krillen tossed a beer in his direction. He caught it and looked at it strangely, throwing it back to the shorter man. He glanced over at Bulma and the idiot and noticed that her eyes met his and didn't seem to want to let go. He found himself lost in the same trance and realized that Bulma was asking for help.

He stood up and walked over to them, never breaking eye contact. When he got closer he saw the tears welling in her eyes and he grabbed Yamcha's shoulder, turning him around. "Hey, what the hell?" The idiot yelled into the Saiyan's face.

"Back off." The words were spoken in a quiet, rasping voice. The deep black eyes narrowing as the bandit smirked back at him.

"What do you care what I do?"

"When it starts to possibly ruin my training, then I care. Leave."

"I'll leave when I'm good and ready, asshole."

"You dumbass baka, I'll kill you!" Vegeta screamed, charging a blast powerful enough to kill everyone there in his hand that wasn't holding onto the other man. Bulma rested her hand on his arm and the both of them looked at her.

"Vegeta, stop it." She said calmly. "I can take care of myself." She smiled softly as Vegeta looked back to the bandit, then to her, then back to the bandit again. He narrowed his eyes and let him go, shoving him away.

"If you say so…."

--


	2. Chapter 2

Vegeta had gone in hours earlier, but the party was just now diminishing. He uncrossed his arms and sat up in his bed, looking outside to everyone leaving and exchanging hugs with Bulma. His eyes narrowed as he noticed that baka bandit following her around. He wasn't planning on leaving any time soon. Vegeta's fists clenched at his sides but he remembered Bulma's words. _If she can handle herself, she can handle him._ He thought smugly, turning back around and laying on his bed. His eyes closed and he wished he could find sleep in his restless mind, but there was no hope in that. 

Awhile later, Vegeta heard yelling outside and he got back out of bed. He looked down from his window and saw the woman in a small silk robe, chasing the scarred idiot out to his car. Both of them were doing their fair share of screaming back and forth, but the woman somehow won the battle and Yamcha got in his car, speeding off into the city. Bulma turned toward the house and sighed, then made her way to the front door.

Vegeta thought for a moment about whether he should confront her about what just happened or if he should just mind his own business. Being the Saiyan that he was, he knew that the latter was out of the question. He casually strolled out of his room and down the stairs into the living room. He rested on the couch and waited until he heard the soft padding of her feet against the linoleum floor of the kitchen. 

"Woman…." He spoke quietly, hearing her feet stop at his voice. 

"Vegeta…" Her voice was weak and the proud Saiyan prince felt something in his heart that he couldn't explain. It hurt, but he wanted more of it. Confusing. She walked in the room, her eyes calm but inflamed from tears. She bit her lower lip and walked over, sitting next to him on the couch. Her body shook and Vegeta looked to his side in curiosity. Her face was covered by her hair and her hands were clutching the material of the small silk robe in her lap. 

"Woman, are--" Before the words even escaped his lips, Bulma collapsed into his body, her face buried in his chest. Her cries were harsh and loud, and her body was shaking violently. The Saiyan didn't know what to do, so he let her cry on him, which was the best thing he could think of to do. After some time, the woman lifted herself off of him and wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry…." She whispered, her voice hoarse. "It's just…"

"That baka again."

Bulma bit her lower lip again and nodded. "Yeah…"

"What did he do?" Vegeta asked, trying not to sound too interested.

"It doesn't matter… but… if you really want to know…"

"I'm not saying I want to know, woman, I'm saying that if I do kill him, you'll want an excuse." Vegeta smirked as the woman laughed and wiped her eyes again.

"He wouldn't leave me alone… I knew what he wanted, that much was obvious…" She paused, clutching the material again. "I figured I'd give him what he wanted, since I was used to it anyway…" Another pause. "And he had told me he wanted to get back together with me anyway… well… we got in bed and he called me by another woman's name…" A tear fell from her eye and landed on her lap, causing more to come down with it.

Vegeta sat up and leaned towards her, taking her face in his palm. "Woman… you know you deserve better than him, right?" The Saiyan Prince said softly, looking into her eyes. He found himself wanting to kiss her, but could he really trust her that much? He pulled his hand away and stood up, walking upstairs and into his room again. Bulma hadn't gotten to answer his question and he had left her confused and wondering why he had suddenly showed such a weak spot in front of her.


	3. Chapter 3

Bulma stayed on the couch for some time before she finally gained the courage and curiosity to find out what had chased Vegeta off. The blue haired woman stood up and walked up the stairs, knocking on Vegeta's door. "Vegeta…." She spoke as loudly as her hoarse voice would let her, which was about a whisper. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Vegeta…"

"What is it, woman?"

"Can I come in…?" She begged he would say yes, and as a response, the door opened in front of her. The Saiyan Prince was holding his hand out, he must have used telekinesis to make the door open, and he was sitting in the middle of the head of his bed, knees bent. Bulma walked in slowly and gasped quietly as the door shut behind her. She smoothed out the dress she had been previously wearing at the party and walked the rest of the way to the bed.

"What is it?" He asked her, eyes gazing into hers blankly.

"I was just wondering…"

"What?"

"Why did you run off?" She asked him, eyes softening and tearing up.

He paused, looking away from her. "I've never been that close to someone before…"

"It scared you?"

"No, it didn't scare me!" The Saiyan nearly yelled at her. "I was simply uncomfortable with the situation is all. Foolish human… a Saiyan doesn't feel fear." Vegeta crossed his arms in front of his chest, smirking his high-and-mighty smirk again.

Bulma looked down at her lap. "Goku's felt fear before…" She said quietly.

"Kakkorat isn't a true Saiyan, as I've said many times. He doesn't have the same blood running through his veins that I do, and he doesn't have the same Saiyan pride. He would be ashamed if he knew what he was disgracing." Vegeta nearly spit out. "He's a low-life, good for nothing. I don't know why you all cherish him so…."

Bulma smiled. "Vegeta….come out on the balcony with me…" She stood up and walked out to his balcony, looking up at the large moon. Vegeta looked at her from inside, his eyes in a blank stare of utter confusion. "Come on…"

"Are you insane?"

"No… this isn't a full moon, silly."

"Looks pretty big to me…" The Saiyan said under his breath, but he found himself walking onto the balcony anyway. _Why do I trust her…?_ He thought to himself.

"It's a harvest moon, Vegeta, that's why it's so big. I always loved how close Capsule Corp. seemed to be to it. It's almost like we could reach out and touch it…" She closed her eyes and smiled, her hands loosely holding the railing. Vegeta smirked.

"So… you like the view of the moon?"

"I love the moon."

"You want to see it even bigger?"

"Vegeta, if you blow it up and say something like 'now it spreads throughout the whole galaxy' I swear I'll kill you…."

Vegeta laughed. "Although it's something I would do…." He swiftly picked her up under her shoulders and knees, lifting her off the ground. She wrapped her arms around his neck instinctively, at a loss for words. "I was thinking something a bit more…. charming." He lifted them both off the ground, flying into the air slowly. Bulma yelped as he took off, reaching a higher altitude.

"Vegeta, what are you doing!?" She screamed, her eyes shut tightly.

Finally, he stopped and Bulma opened her eyes. She was sitting on dry land, seemingly a mountain top. She smiled in relief and began to look around her. To her left and right she could see clouds on either side of the mountain top, and in front of her was Vegeta's chest, his arms still around her. She looked up at him, questioning him. "Turn around." He said quietly, a smile almost begging at the corners of his lips.

Bulma obeyed and gasped in shock at the sight before her. The large, orange harvest moon seemed closer than ever, only separated from her by a sea of clouds that held sleeping dragons. She'd often heard of this place from scientists, but no one had ever seen it. Her eyes shimmered in joy and awe as she turned back around to Vegeta, who was still looking out to the moon. "Vegeta…this is…why did you do this?" She asked him.

"Am I not allowed to make up for being an arrogant, pig-headed, selfish asshole?" He smirked, using her own words against her. The blue-haired woman blushed and looked away from him.

"Sorry about all that… but I'll tell you now, you really know how to apologize…" She laughed softly and smiled at him. "Thank you…" She turned back around and gazed at the sight a while longer before she turned back around to the prince. "Do you think dragons are friendly?"

Vegeta paused and looked out at them, then back to the blue-haired heiress. "I suppose they could be… why?"

"I want to pet one."

"You're such a child. I suppose you want to touch the clouds and the stars too?"

"That would be amazing, actually." She giggled.

Vegeta rolled his eyes and placed his open palm in front of her. "Take my hand, little one." Bulma wrinkled her nose at him, but took his hand obediently. She gasped again as her feet lifted off the ground with his and she realized she was flying. Vegeta flew them down onto the clouds and Bulma immediately let go of his hand and went plummeting through the cloud. She screamed for a short time before Vegeta had caught her. "Did I tell you to let go?"

Bulma laughed and put her head on Vegeta's shoulder, letting him fly them back to the top of the cloud. This time Bulma continued to hold his hand as they walked on the clouds, petting the sleeping dragons. After about twenty minutes, Bulma smiled and flopped down into the cloud, pulling Vegeta down with her. He almost landed on top of her, but caught himself just inches away from her face.

They both stayed still for a few minutes before they stood up, Bulma yawning and resting her head on Vegeta's shoulder again. "Thank you, Vegeta…." She whispered.

"You're ready to go home now?"

The woman nodded as he picked her up in his arms again and began flying them home.

--


	4. Chapter 4

Vegeta's thoughts tormented him all the way to Capsule Corp. as he looked down at the woman in his arms. _She's so beautiful, even for a human. I don't know why I did this for her, I probably never will understand it. At least she's happy… I know I shouldn't care but I have to stop lying to myself. Bulma Briefs, a weakling woman from Earth, is my fated mate, and I couldn't be more satisfied. _He landed back on his balcony softly, not wanting to wake the Bulma. He opened the door and walked her over to his bed, laying her down and walking out of his room. He didn't want to be disrespectful, so he decided to sleep on the couch. _If she ever knew how I felt, she'd kill me…_

The proud Saiyan prince laid down on the couch, looking up at the ceiling. He sighed and closed his eyes, thinking about the night that the woman and him had shared together. He chuckled to himself as he realized just how soft he had become around her. Slowly, he drifted off to sleep in his realization.

--

The next morning, Bulma woke up, groaning lazily. She stretched and yawned her sleep out of her body, then stood up. When she realized she was in Vegeta's room she immediately remembered the night before. She looked around the room for him, but of course, he wasn't there. She wondered where he was, if last night had been a dream, and if it wasn't… would Vegeta even act differently when her parents got back home? 

Bulma thought about raiding his room for a journal of sorts, but then she remembered that she had no idea where Vegeta was. He could be watching her right now, so she decided that she didn't want to lose his trust and she walked out of his room without touching anything. As she walked down the stairs, she saw Vegeta lying on the couch, sleeping soundly. Her hand rested over her mouth as she realized how nice he had been to her last night. 

When she got into the living room she sat down next to her housemate and ran her hand through his hair, smiling down at him. She wished she had kissed him the night before when they had been so close, and regretted wasting the opportunity. Again, the feeling to kiss him took her over like a tsunami, but she ignored it and walked into the kitchen.

While she was fixing breakfast, the phone rang and she quickly answered it, not wanting to disturb the Saiyan prince. "Hello?" She said quietly.

"Bulma, it's Chi-Chi. Why are you being so quiet?"

"Vegeta's sleeping in the other room."

"Oh! How are things going with your arrogant little love interest?"

"Shh! He can probably hear you if he woke up… I'll have to tell you about last night later, he's coming in here. Talk to you later, Chi!" Bulma hung up the phone without waiting for Chi-Chi's response and resumed cooking like nothing happened. Vegeta walked in, stretching his arms over his head. "Good morning, Vegeta!"

"Mmph…" He groaned sleepily. "You owe me a back massage…"

Bulma giggled. "I'm sure I do." She walked over to him and sat down on the kitchen table in front of him. "Thank you…" She nearly whispered, looking into his eyes. "For last night… it really meant a lot to me."

"It was nothing."

"It was not nothing, Vegeta, and you know it." _Just admit that you like me…._

"It was just a token of my appreciation for you putting up with my arrogant behavior." Vegeta said, standing up and walking over to the refrigerator. Bulma returned to the stove and continued cooking breakfast while she knew Vegeta chugged beverages straight out of the jug. She smirked and decided to catch him in the act. 

"You know, Vegeta… if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to flatter me." She smirked as she heard him spit out the beverage. He coughed and choked a few times before the refrigerator door closed and he looked at her, eyes slightly red from choking and a look that almost said, 'are you satisfied?'

He took a step toward her and placed his hands on either side of her waist. "If I was trying to 'flatter you'…I wouldn't have been so subtle." He smirked as he heard her breath hitch in her throat. He stepped away and sat at the table once more, his hands behind his head with a pleased look on his face.

"Is that so?" Bulma said back quietly. "Then how _would_ you have acted?"

Vegeta closed his eyes. "Let's just say you couldn't handle it." Vegeta knew he was lying through his teeth, but luckily he'd had years of practice and had mastered the art. _Who am I kidding? Of course I was trying to court her last night. She knows it and so do I, but I couldn't tell her that…._ He thought to himself, feeling a twinge in his chest as he thought of her rejection.

"I think I could handle a lot more than you give me credit for."

"Hmph." Vegeta scoffed, devouring the food she had placed in front of him. "You've never been courted by a Saiyan though, have you?" He smirked again, walking out of Capsule Corp. and out into the gravity machine. 


	5. Chapter 5

Later that night, Vegeta walked out of the gravity machine and panted in the cold night air. His shirtless body was dripping with sweat and his muscles ached from the intensity of his training session, but he got up the strength to abide by his nightly schedule. He slowly flew into the air and landed on the roof above Bulma's room. It's not like he planned for his spot to be there every night, it's just where he landed the first night he saw the stars on this planet. He sat down, the lowered himself onto his back. He sighed and looked up at the stars, looking for some kind of an answer.

_What am I supposed to do? How can I just tell her that she's my mate? Not that she would accept it anyway, but I know she has to know. The worst part about all of this is that Saiyan's mate for life, and humans obviously do not, most of the time. And what is supposed to make me think that she wouldn't just leave me for that baka again? She's left plenty of other guys for him, I've seen it happen. What do I do?_ He thought in silence, losing himself in the stars.

"Vegeta…" He heard the woman's voice from below him. _She must be on her balcony._ He crawled to the edge of the roof and looked at her stealthily. There was no way she could see him from where they both were, but he could see her perfectly. She was dressed in another one of her nightgowns, this one was a light pink color. She turned around so her face was to him, leaning against the railing of her balcony.

"Woman…" He said quietly, hoping she couldn't hear him.

"Dammit, Vegeta, I know you want to be with me…" She whispered. "And I want to be with you too… why can't you just admit your feelings just this once? Sure, I've always wanted to know what's going on in that head of yours, but… I'd let you keep all of that to yourself if you would just show your feelings this one time…" She sighed and turned back around to look up at the stars. "I wish you were here right now… you don't know how many nights I've wanted you to be out here with me… holding me and looking up at the stars. And you don't know how many nights I've wished I could lie next to you…."

Vegeta wanted so badly to just fly down and kiss her right then and there, but he knew he couldn't. No matter how happy it would make her, he just couldn't bring himself to give up his pride just yet. He flew off to the other side of the building and walked in through the glass door in the kitchen. He slowly walked up the stairs and toward the woman's room. His hand raised to knock on the door, but he stopped himself and walked away. When he got into his room he flopped down on the bed and cursed himself for being so confused about something so simple.

"Vegeta…." He heard the voice from the other side of his door a few minutes later and he looked back toward it. "Vegeta, did you come to my door? I heard something but…"

"I'm just hungry, that's all…." He lied.

"Oh… well…. I can make you something if you want me to, it's no big deal."

He sighed and walked to his door, opening it to look into her eyes. "It's okay, I'm not really that hungry."

"Vegeta… you never lose your appetite. Is something wrong?"

"No."

"Do you want to watch a movie?"

"What?"

"Do you want to watch a movie with me?" She asked again, smiling softly.

Vegeta paused. "I suppose."

The two of them walked down the stairs, Vegeta shortly behind Bulma. The Saiyan became very confused when the woman walked into the kitchen, passing right by the TV. He followed her anyway, looking at her curiously the whole time. "I'm getting snacks." She laughed, reaching into the cupboard above her head.

When the woman had finished making this weird stuff that exploded when you put it in the heat box, the two of them walked into the living room with a gigantic bowl of the exploding stuff and two 'root beer floats', as the woman called them. They sat on the couch and Bulma started up the movie, which turned out to be Batman: The Dark Knight. During the movie, the woman would hold onto his arm tightly as if she were scared, and Vegeta had to admit that the movie did get quite disturbing sometimes.

At the end of the movie, Bulma shut the TV off and looked at Vegeta. "Did you like it?"

Vegeta looked around, seeing the empty glasses and huge empty bowl. He smiled down at the woman and nodded. "Yeah, I did." He then noticed that his arm had been around her for how long, he didn't know. He looked from his arm to her and she smiled, telling him it was okay. She snuggled her head into his chest as he laid back on the couch. He looked down at her awhile later and rested his hand on her back, moving it up and down slowly.

She looked up at him and smiled again, reaching her arm up and running her fingers through his hair. The Saiyan sat up a little bit and Bulma sat on his lap, looking into his eyes. "What is it?"

"Woman, I…"

Before he could finish his sentence she leaned in and pressed her lips to his, closing her eyes and resting her hand on his shoulder. The kiss was short, but it was enough to make Vegeta speechless. He looked into her eyes when she pulled away and saw that she was afraid of the same thing he was. Rejection. She really did want to be with him. The proud Saiyan prince reached his hand up, cupping her cheek in his palm, and pulled her back into him. He kissed her lips softly, letting her roll her tongue against his lips. When they broke apart the second time, Bulma looked him in the eyes. "Do you mean it?"

"Of course I do."

AN: In case you didn't really catch on, it's popcorn. XP

If you haven't seen that movie, GO SEE IT! It's aaaaamazing!


End file.
